


That Was Not Honey

by penguins_and_such



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fantasy AU, Gen, Magic AU, Potions, magic induced gender swap, rule 63!Akaashi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-01
Updated: 2016-07-01
Packaged: 2018-07-19 09:21:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7355194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penguins_and_such/pseuds/penguins_and_such
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mage Akaashi makes a potion and a mistake. The two are related.<br/>Kinda sorta Bokuaka.</p>
            </blockquote>





	That Was Not Honey

**Author's Note:**

> Wow so this fic probably doesn't read as a 'whole' story, since there are a few unexplained details. That's because it's not! It's a kind of side story to an au that I've been working on with Windy (my wonderful beta). It's evolved into this Thing™ that should be posted here in the future. I'm posting this because I liked the way it turned out.

Fukurodani castle was as quiet as it got right after sunset. People still milled about, but most headed back towards the sanctuary of their rooms for a good night’s rest. Indeed, most of the castle’s population was calling it a day, leaving the halls empty and hushed. The exception to this was the mage tower and attached aviary, where the birds inside were just waking up and the court mage was starting his day as well.

Akaashi was hunched over his notes when he heard a pecking at the window above his desk. Glancing up, he spotted a messenger bird wearing a Nekoma red scroll around its claws. He stood and opened the window, letting the bird land on his sleeved arm before grabbing the message and unfolding it, unsurprised to recognize the small print of Kenma handwriting.

‘Akaashi, I’ve stumbled across reference to a changing spell of some kind in my research to perfect the transformation spell. It’s called the Pinctada and the spellbooks I have don’t seem to cover it, maybe its forgotten magic? I was wondering if Fukurodani’s library might have more information on it.’

The bottom of the letter lacked the court mage stamp, in its place was Kenma’s name in plain script. He hardly ever signed letters to Akaashi with the stamp, since the majority of their correspondence had little to do with actual kingdom business. Akaashi looked outside with a sigh, the night was still young, and he _had_ just eaten. If he went back to his notes he was likely to forget about the request for a few days, and it would probably take little time to locate the spell from the archives and make a copy.

“Asterope.” The rufous legged owl flapped over as Akaashi grabbed his staff. “Please make a note of the name Pinctada, that’s P-I-N-C-T-A-D-A.” She cooed softly in response as she settled on a nearby table and Akaashi gently rubbed a finger over the top of her head. “Good girl. Akis, please stay here.” He glanced up at where she was roosting in the rafters and watched her start preening her feathers without replying. “We’ll go out afterwards, okay?” She paused her grooming to meet his eyes and blink once.

He flipped the hood of his robe up and grabbed his staff and a journal from beside the door; once he opened the door Asterope flapped out and began the descent down the tower stairs. After a brief moment of contemplation he outstretched his fingers and muttered an ice spell, making a smooth thin layer of frost gather on the banister. With a small smile he sat on top of it and began sliding down.

Perhaps not the most dignified use of a court seer’s magic, but much quicker than walking all the way down the steps. When he glanced around the hallway he was relieved to find it empty and quiet. Asterope, who had still beat him to the bottom, was perched silently in the rafters and Akaashi knew he didn’t need to tell her to follow him. Wordlessly they both set out for the Fukurodani Capital Library.

* * *

 

An hour and a half later and all Akaashi could recover about the Pinctada spell was that it was a potion, and the recipe and incantation for said potion. Which wasn’t bad, but it was rare for the official library to have such a small amount of information on something. He returned the book to the circulation desk with a sigh and flipped his journal shut. The library in the mountains was sure to have more information on it, all the way down to who created it and why, but he had all the ingredients for it back at the tower. Besides, as court mage for Fukurodani he should be able to derive the potion’s affects once he’d made it. If he began to rely on that library for everything he would lose his touch.

“Let’s go.” Akaashi whispered under his breath, and Asterope quietly took off from her perch on his staff towards the exit, soaring above all the bookshelves.

* * *

 

Kenma yawned as he lazily stretched across the plush couch adjacent to his desk. He’d hit a roadblock with his spell research lately and decided to take a break. The nap had been refreshing and he still felt the pleasant haze of sleep wrapped around his brain. He heard a soft thump and looked over at the open window to see Shiro landed in the doorway.

“Lazy-bones is finally awake, I see.” She meowed at him and Kenma frowned.

“I’m not lazy, and where have you been, begging for kitchen scraps?”

He didn’t get a reply as she wandered into Kenma’s private room, behind his study. A loud meow hailed Kuro’s arrival as he jumped through the same window her sister had just used. “Incoming vision.”

Kenma sighed. “Please can it wait like five minutes? I just woke up.” Kuro chirped at him and jumped onto the couch.

“Nope, urgent stuff.” That was all the warning he got before she began rubbing her face against his bare calf.

The vision was confusing to say the least, it took him a few minutes to figure out what exactly he’d seen. Once he did though, he blinked for a few seconds before making his way to his desk in writing in what he hoped was an urgent, but plain manner. Kuro meowed at him, “Told you so.” When he looked over at her she was stretched along the spot Kenma had been laying in minutes earlier, absorbing the warmth that remained there.

“I’ll admit that this is pretty urgent…” He then wordlessly rolled up the message and left his study for the aviary. After the message was secured and the bird took off, Kenma stayed and watched it disappear into the night. He could only hope it arrived in time.

* * *

 

Akaashi stared at the swirling colors of the potion, he’d said the incantation over it and thought he might have a good idea of its purpose now. Although he couldn’t quite understand how that would help Kozume-san’s research. Perhaps at a cellular level it would make a good comparison…

He left the potion on the shelf, amongst the ingredients used to make it, and returned to his desk. Once his notes were in proper order, he began compiling a report to send back. As his quill scratched against paper he reached over to take a sip of his tea, grimacing at the bitterness of it. He hummed to himself before motioning towards the shelf where his honey was, muttering a flotation spell that led the bottle straight to his hands. Without looking up from his writing, he poured in the honey and set the bottle aside, stirring his tea with another simple incantation.

The report was almost finished when he was startled from his notes for the second time that night by a tapping at his window. He reached up to unlatch the window with a sigh, surprised to see Nekoma red once more. As he opened the note, he picked up his tea and took a sip, sighing at the warmth that spread through him, although it didn’t quite taste like honey. With a shrug, he finished the tea and read the note, which made him drop the cup against his desk with a clatter.

‘DO NOT MAKE THE POTION, DO NOT DRINK THE TEA.’

It wasn’t signed but he recognized Kozume-san’s handwriting immediately. With a gulp he glanced over to where he’d set the honey bottle down, and sure enough, it was the now half empty potion bottle sitting there instead.

He took a deep breath and fought down the urge to panic. Which came surprisingly easy, with how tired he’d gotten. His eyelids began to feel as heavy as a lead and he felt wet ink along the side of his face as he slumped onto his desk. _That can’t be good._ Was his last conscious thought.

* * *

 

Akaashi felt soft pecking along his scalp. “Not now, Akis, m’tired.” He paused at the sound of his own voice, was it higher?

He sat up straight, feeling Akis flutter her wings to keep her balance as she nearly knocked her over. He felt something brush along his arms and glanced down to find… hair? His hair, which now fell down past his chest and ended along his waist. Speaking of his chest looked rather…

An audible gasp was all he could manage as he remembered everything that had happened prior to him falling asleep. With shaky legs, he stood and made his way over to his only mirror. One glance confirmed the potion’s intended use, and that he’d slept in wet ink. Absentmindedly scrubbing his cheeks, he stared open-mouthed at his reflection. He’d admit he’d always been rather effeminate, but now…

Now with a softer, rounder face, plush lips, and thicker lashes, he really did look like a girl. Because he now had the body of one.

He sighed into the mirror and pushed strands of hair from his face, already annoyed by them. He eyed the scissors on his desk momentarily before settling for a piece of cloth near his wardrobe. His experience with braiding was limited to ropes and occasionally Kaori- who didn’t have nearly so much hair as he now did- so in the end it was messy and chunky, but out of his face. He’d consider it a victory for now.

A glance outside told him he hadn’t been out for long, the sky was still pitch black, no sun on the horizon yet. His stomach rumbled at him and he sighed. It was past his snack time, then. He went to his doorway but hesitated, there was no way of telling how people would react if he was seen. It might be more trouble than it’s worth, at least for right now. Besides, from what he remembered of the incantation this would only be a temporary situation.

He strode over to his desk and peered at his smudged notes. His hands tapped rhythmically against the desk as he nodded to himself. From the translated incantation, the longest this could last was a few days, and he’d only had about half the potion. Although it never did say how much was supposed to be consumed. He slumped down in his seat and decided to simply finish the report. If all he could do was wait it out, he might as well not let it affect his work.

He finishes the report and sends it off, including a copy of the recipe and incantation, and a personal note of what aspects of it Akaashi thinks could apply to Kozume-san’s work. Once the bird is out of sight he leaves the window open. “Akis, Asterope, you should go fly. I can’t join you tonight.”

Neither of them hesitates to soar through the window, probably going to join the owls from the aviary that Akaashi let out at the beginning of the night.

Akaashi feels a little miffed at being brushed off like that, but he knows they don’t mean it. Still, he wouldn’t mind a walk through the forest right now, watching Akis dip and dive around the treetops. Then watching through her eyes as the trees zip past, the howl of the wind so high up. He sighs wistfully against the window pane and stares out at the forest. Maybe for just a few minutes he could…

No, it’s not worth the risk of being seen.

His door slams open, along with all ideas of keeping this experience to himself. “Akaashi, I’ve got a question.”

He looks over at her and gets a little pleasure from the way her mouth drops and eyebrows furrow together. At least it’s Kaori, and he knows she’ll keep this to herself, probably.

“Do you think you could go to the kitchens and get me some food? I’m starving.” He begins rearranging the potion bottles on their shelf, cleaning up the earlier mess.

Kaori laughs a bit under her breath. “We always did say you’d make a pretty girl Akaashi, but isn’t this a bit far, even for you?”

Akaashi glares at the honey bottle as he sets it pointedly aside from everything else. “This was not on purpose and it’s only temporary, so I don’t want to freak people out. So, could you-“

“You know who has got to see this?” She sounds breathlessly delighted making Akaashi turn to stare at her sharply.

“Kaori, please-”

The door slamming once more cuts him off. Then he hears a distant yelling noise that gets gradually softer.

Really now, why did he let her up here all the time?

He ignores the protests of his stomach and turns back to his work. The report from the latest council meeting should be more than enough to keep him occupied until sun-up.

Or so he thought. Five minutes later and he hadn’t been able to find the focus to get past the first page.

Akis picks that moment to glide back into the tower, followed by Asterope and Akaashi welcomes the distraction.

Asterope lands on her perch near his bed, but Akis goes for the one near his desk and Akaashi outstretches his arm to her. She hops on readily and Akaashi brings her closer to him, running a finger over the top of her head. “There’s my girl.”  

She hoots at him and puffs up a bit, tawny feathers getting that much fluffier at the praise. His stomach growls again and she tilts her head, giving him a questioning look.

Akaashi simply sighs and maneuvers his arm so that she can get back on the roost. He finds himself distractedly toying with the end of the braid as he stares blankly at his notes. He starts at a sharp tug at his scalp, looking down to find Akis tugging at one of the strands.

“Akis, what are you-” She hops onto the desk and shuffles closer, tugging at more strands. “Akis, please stop that.”

He manages to free his hair and stands back up, ignoring Akis’ soft hoots and running his hands through the even messier braid. With a sigh he unties it and begins braiding again. He’s just tying it off when he hears his door begin to creep open, and then the smell of food hits him.

His mood lifts a bit at the sight of a tray coming through the door, but his stomach drops when he sees that it’s not Kaori holding it.

“Bokuto-san.” He almost clamps his hands over his mouth, he’d forgotten his voice was that high.

Bokuto freezes upon seeing him, jaw going slack as he looks Akaashi up and down. For once Akaashi feels his cheeks heat up at being given that appraising look. Something about his recent, albeit temporary, transformation is making him overly self-conscious.

Luckily Bokuto doesn’t stay still for long, setting the tray of food down on a nearby table and then bounding over to him. Akaashi feels his cheeks get warmer the closer Bokuto gets and he wills himself to calm down, just a little.

He’s surprised when Bokuto simply hovers his hands over the long braid over his shoulder. “Akaashi! This looks so cool, I never knew you could style hair!”

Akaashi manages to not stammer out his reply. “Oh. Right, I used to braid ropes as a child. This is all I can remember how to do, though.”

The knight’s fingers reach out with the same gentleness Akaashi has seen him use with the owls in the aviary. “Do you mind if I touch it?”

He feels his forehead wrinkle, Bokuto always did make rather odd requests. “Sure, although I haven’t properly brushed it out, so it won’t be soft.”

“Ooh! Can I brush it?” Bokuto’s hands are now running slowly down the length of the braid, but he keeps steady eye contact with Akaashi.

As always, Akaashi feels exposed by the bright gold orbs and he finds himself agreeing. “I suppose…”

“Come on! You can sit on your bed and eat while I brush.” Akaashi makes his way to his bed and perches on the edge of it, taking the tray from Bokuto before he plants himself behind him.

Akaashi breaks off a piece of the fresh bread and dips it into the still warm soup. While Bokuto starts untangling his hair, Akaashi casts a thermeostasis spell on the food, keeping it warm. As he chows down Bokuto is surprisingly quiet, focused on his task. Akaashi has to admit that he’s rather good at it, he’d expected him to be rougher, but then Bokuto always surprises him when it comes to things like this.

“There’s always been that joke that you’d make a pretty girl, but seeing it is kinda weird.” Bokuto’s voice is uncharacteristically soft, matching the gentleness of his hands.

His heart drops a bit, to hear that. “Oh, it does feel strange to me, as well.”

Bokuto’s hands pause, “Not to say that you’re-” he pauses his words to groan, and Akaashi feels him lean back a bit. “What I mean is, well, whatever you look like, Akaashi will always be Akaashi. So you’re always attractive…”

Akaashi’s face flares up once more and he’s glad Bokuto can’t see him. It’s hardly the first time Bokuto had remarked upon his looks, but he’d never phrased it quite like that. Always too, his tone was matter of fact, as if he were stating some universal law, the sky is blue, it doesn’t snow in Nohebi, and Akaashi will always be attractive. It makes his stomach flip in a way that’s getting harder to ignore.

He feels a comb run through his hair and Akaashi’s eyes begin to feel heavy, despite everything.

Bokuto is somewhat startled when he feels Akaashi slouch back against his chest, but smiles to himself at the serene look on his face. Looking over his (her?) features one last time before he lets his fingertips trace the pale line of his face. Akaashi really did make a pretty girl, but Bokuto was grateful this was only temporary.

He could only imagine how many more confessions his mage would get once breasts were added to the equation.

With a sigh, he slides out from behind Akaashi and pulls the blankets up over him, sliding his hand through the soft locks one last time. He goes around the room a final time, closing and shuttering all windows against the coming sunset. Akaashi really needed his rest after a night like tonight.

Akis and Asterope settle into their usual roosts and Bokuto smiles at them before ducking through the door to the adjacent aviary. He happily takes to cleaning the cages and making sure all the birds are settled in.

Akaashi’s day had just ended, and Bokuto’s had begun.  

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this there's more coming!  
> Windy's tumblr (this au is almost entirely her fault)- [x](http://iamthewindything.tumblr.com)


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